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Tibet Girls School

Tsogyaling Participates in the Global Activism Expo: Chicago Public Radio's Free Celebration

April 28, 2012: Tsogyaling Meditation Center had a booth at the Global Activism Expo on Saturday, April 28. Members of Tsogyaling provided details and updates about Tibetan Girls School, as well as info about our wide array of meditation classes. Because we've been featured on WBEZ's long-running global affairs radio show Worldview, we received a special invitation to attend the Expo.

Participatns enjoyed food, music and more from more than 100 Chicago-area Global Activists — hosted this year by the UIC Social Justice Initiative — at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago. In addition to learning about these incredible organizations, event attendees also had the unique opportunity to attend presentations, network with other Chicagoans interested in this work, as well as shop for interesting art, fair-trade jewelry and apparel (where proceeds go to fund organizational efforts).

New Home for Tibet Girls School in Delhi, India

March 2012: Tibet Girls School is pleased to announce that it is moving programing to Delhi, India. After our school was destroyed two years ago by the devastating earthquake in Yushu, Eastern Tibet, we kept it running for one more year in tents, graduating 14 students after three years of education. These illiterate nomad girls were brought down from remote villages into the larger city of Yushu where we provided them with housing, food, clothing, education, healthcare and job training. We are proud that all of our students have either gone on with their studies or found jobs and are helping their families.

For the past year we have worked with a team of experts in an attempt to reopen our school in Tibet but have been unsuccessful due to the volatile political situation in China. After researching many excellent possible programs with which to partner we have chosen to support the vision of Ms. Rinchen Khando Choegyal, sister-in-law to HH Dalai Lama and Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP) in India.

Rinchen Khando is a very well respected Tibetan elder who has committed her life to working for the benefit of Tibetan women and girls. She has identified an unmet need in Delhi, India, for a center for young Tibetan lay women ages 18 and older. The center will provide safe housing, food, access to healthcare, vocational training, tutoring and a place to connect with their culture and spirituality. The program will be overseen by the TNP and run by senior nuns. It will provide outreach to the most disadvantaged young Tibetan women, particularly those at risk for forced work in prostitution.

Tsogyaling Meditation Center Board President Nancy Floy says,

"We believe that this partnership with TNP and this new program will carry on the spirit of our Tibet Girls School and our 14 young women in Eastern Tibet. We are deeply honored to work with Rinchen Khando and assist with realizing her vision for her center for at risk young Tibetan lay women."

It is interesting to note that four years ago Tibet Girls School purchased a copy of the book Our Bodies Ourselves translated into Tibetan by TNP and had it hand-carried into Tibet where it was our primary text used in our health curriculum at our school. This book will also be used in our new center in India for healthcare education with our new young women. The book — which was mentioned in our radio interview on Worldview and touched many womens' hearts — is our link between our former school in Tibet and our new school in India.

The board of directors of Tsogyaling and Tibet Girls School are grateful to our team of experts who have worked tirelessly with us over the past year in making this transition and although it is with great regret and sadness that we move our program out of Tibet we understand that it is the best decision for the safety of our students and teachers. We now look forward to continuing our commitment to working for the welfare of the most disadvantaged and at-risk young Tibetan women living in exile in India. Donations are most welcome and always greatly appreciated. We expect the program to be up and running within the next few months and welcome anyone traveling to Delhi to consider visiting our new center. For any questions, click here to email Board President Nancy Floy or call her at 847.491.1122 x11.

Won't You Help Us?

To make a tax-deductible contribution, click the secure button above to pay online with your credit card. Any size donation is welcome. Or send checks — payable to "Tsogyaling Meditation Center" — to:

Tibet Girls School
c/o Heartwood Center
1818 Dempster Street
Evanston, IL 60202 USA

Gratitude

We are so grateful to our many generous supporters and wish you to know that you are making a difference in the lives of our girls. Our first class arrived out of the mountains, illiterate and now they can read and write Tibetan and Chinese and are computer literate as well. For more information contact Nancy Floy at 847.491.1122 x11 or click here to email.